I'm located in Kenai AK & can't seem to find anyone with a telescope (or interest for that matter!) in this area of the country. I have an 8" intelliscope and hoping to share views or have a star party around here. Tired of being dazzled by a view and no one is around to share the experience with! Comet 21p passing through m35 was a perfect example. Scope owners unite in Kenai!

HI....you wrote to me just a few hours ago about the TV 9mm Nagler I have on sale here on CN. I am in Fairbanks and I have the advantage of having the Univ of Alaska Fairbanks in town, so there are various astronomy and astrophysics groups here that have star parties and other events. Of course, it is usually bitterly cold at the same time!

Have you tried talking to anyone at Kenai Peninsula College, to see if there might be some astro folks there? I know it is further away, but maybe even at the Kachemak campus in Homer?

Good luck and I hope you can find some with similar astro hobbies down there!

I did check with the college and they have a telescope workshop in november but didn't want to wait until then...oh well...I do get some odd reactions around here when I ask if they want to look through the eyepiece. One person got offended and thought I was trying change their opinion on god... that was real strange. I've since stopped askin people around my neighborhood.

I found that if I set up my telescope in a relatively public place ( like a well traveled park, etc), then people who are interested will self-select and come over to me. Also, once people at work started to hear my stories of seeing cool astro sites, then the same things happened: "I would love to come over...I have never looked through a real telescope before, etc". Also, you might ask the Homer science center if they would be interested in hosting some type of star party, too?

I did check with the college and they have a telescope workshop in november but didn't want to wait until then...oh well...I do get some odd reactions around here when I ask if they want to look through the eyepiece. One person got offended and thought I was trying change their opinion on god... that was real strange. I've since stopped askin people around my neighborhood.

I know how you feel, as everyone around here in my "neck o' the woods" either hunts or fishes, or both.

I lived in cloudy/rainy Juneau for a couple of years in the 1990's. Juneau had a little Planetarium in one of the Elementary Schools (Marie Drake). I was part of a small group of volunteers who held monthly public planetarium shows there. We always had a pack house for each show. There were also a few of us that had telescopes too for one of those rare clear nights. Just keep on looking, I'm sure there are other enthusiasts there somewhere.

Just kidding. There`s probably a ton with spotting scopes and binoculars who just never considered there is anything to see up there with what mundane equipment they have. The last time I was up that way there was a p from the DNR with a few massive spotting scopes showing passersby local wildlife on a distant slope. I`m sure they wouldn`t be offended if you asked if they ever turned the scope towards Andromeda at night.

You might start your own informal observing society. There`s got to be some folks who are just plain bored any given night of the week.

Just kidding. There`s probably a ton with spotting scopes and binoculars who just never considered there is anything to see up there with what mundane equipment they have. The last time I was up that way there was a p from the DNR with a few massive spotting scopes showing passersby local wildlife on a distant slope. I`m sure they wouldn`t be offended if you asked if they ever turned the scope towards Andromeda at night.

You might start your own informal observing society. There`s got to be some folks who are just plain bored any given night of the week.

Wish you success.

That is what I'm thinking about as the nearest club is a 3hr drive away. The skies here are jaw dropping in the winter but with - Fahrenheit Temps. That probly discourages people from observing a bit. Might even try to do it the old-fashioned way by putting up fliers.

That is what I'm thinking about as the nearest club is a 3hr drive away. The skies here are jaw dropping in the winter but with - Fahrenheit Temps. That probly discourages people from observing a bit. Might even try to do it the old-fashioned way by putting up fliers.

I was just thinking of doing that! Unfortunately we've been clouded over for about 3 weeks... it's probably because I just purchased some eyepieces and filters!